Good morning everyone,
Thanks for taking the time to watch the mini-doc I’ve put together for you. If you haven’t, please do. This post is free and open to all, so feel free to share it as well.
I don’t have that much to say about the video because I believe it speaks for itself, but let’s be clear that this is not about whether we should support Ukraine. Saskatchewan absolutely must support Ukraine.
A good start would be doing a hell of a lot more with the Russian companies still operating carte blanche in our province, including at least two potash exploration companies. It’s getting really odd that those aren’t part of the discussion.
However, supporting Ukraine should not mean indirectly sending the message to the international community - you know, the one Scooter can’t stop flying around the world to meet - that Saskatchewan will welcome you with open arms… but only if you hail from the same country as our super-white government’s great-grandparents.
Consider first, for a moment, the Sask Party government’s frenzied insistence that “unlimited” or “as many” (both phrases were evoked dozens of times during the seven freaking hours MLAs indulged in one of the most macabre, tacky demonstrations of grandstanding on the backs of war crime victims, that happened no where else in the developed world, I’ve ever seen) (but I digress) Ukrainians as possible will find refuge in our province. Our current annual allocation of refugees, which is the sole purview of the federal government, is 600 per year.
Anyone with two eyes and ears knows that Saskatchewan’s infrastructure, particularly in health care and education, is decimated. It can’t support the 1.1 million residents that live here already. Our hospitals are collapsing from the inside. Our surgery wait times are the worst in the country. Our K-12 education system is bursting at the seams, with provincial funding per student dropping rapidly year over year.
But… let’s say it’s doable.
If so, does the Saskatchewan government actually believe it gets to pick and choose which ethnicities are welcome here?
There can only be one of two things going on:
1
The Saskatchewan government knows full well that the federal government, which has sole jurisdiction over refugee resettlement in Canada, won’t send more Ukrainian refugees into Saskatchewan than Syrians or any others. That Syrian number, which has never been fully clarified and vacillates wildly, depending on the day and the colour of Jeremy Harrison’s pocket puff, apparently, is between 500 and 1500.
If the provincial government knew, going into seven hours of pontification in the Legislature, that there was little to no likelihood of the federal government actually sending Saskatchewan “unlimited” Ukrainian refugees… then the Sask Party government (and the NDP to be fair, though they have no say in these spectacles) spent seven hours lying poetically into the record, AKA exploiting victims of f**king war crimes, for political gain.
If this is the case and we don’t get anything representing “unlimited” Ukrainian refugees, Moe and Harrison have a ready-excuse in Justin Trudeau… awhich was likely the plan from the start.
2
The Saskatchewan government truly believes they and this province can support and will receive an “unlimited” number, or mass influx of refugees.
If this is the case, why did we not declare this until now?
Why can that influx only be Ukrainian?
There are 26-million refugees worldwide, many living in conditions that you don’t want to know (but should). Millions and millions of refugees worldwide have been fleeing conflict and persecution in their home countries since Saskatchewan was launched onto the global map 117 years ago.
For cripes sake, there’s a heinous, longtime refugee camp in the Western Sahara that is the direct result of a territorial mining dispute promoted (whether they admit it or not) by Nutrien. Without the mineral mined there to add to it, our potash isn’t worth shit. Enjoy the Nutrien Children’s Wonderhub or whatever the f**k it’s called? You’re doing so on the backs of those refugees, because if they were living at home, Saskatchewan wouldn’t get royalties to build it and Nutrien wouldn’t make money to advertise on support it.
Scott Moe’s government says it can support “unlimited” Ukrainians because of our province’s demographic ethnic background. Specifically, we have more residents with a Ukrainian grandparent or great-grandparent, per capita, than other provinces.
The Saskatchewan government also has the highest goddamn per capita COVID-19 death toll than other provinces, but they don’t seem to give a f**k about that - “per capita” only applies when they need it to.
It’s no secret I believe the Saskatchewan government is racist AF, but this is the first time I’ve ever seen it play out so blatantly, right under our noses without it really feeling like anyone noticed - I didn’t at first. I understand and share Saskatchewan people’s horror over what we’re seeing in Ukraine… but have you had a look at, oh, Myanmar lately?
Like you, I want a better world, but that’s got to start right here at home. We’re better than the exploitation, which I believe is all this has been, of the plight of any refugees.
Saskatchewan should be better than this. We must start holding ourselves accountable and recognizing where can do better. Saskatchewan’s relationship with the rest of the world, including how it sees us, hangs in the balance.
On that note, I hope you enjoy your weekend. Til Monday, take care.
